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‘Democracy is on the line’: Kamala Harris voters in Pennsylvania

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‘Democracy is on the line’: Kamala Harris voters in Pennsylvania


With Pennsylvania emerging as the most critical battleground for the election, over 200 Massachusetts Democrats have spent the past month in Scranton to boost voter turnout for the Harris-Walz ticket.

Jesse Mermell, a former congressional candidate from Massachusetts who grew up in northeastern Pennsylvania, is leading a team that recently organized over 150 Bay State volunteers to canvass neighborhoods and engage with voters in a last-minute push.

“This is the most important election of our lifetime,” Mermell told Newsweek, adding that she saw this outreach as an opportunity to “make a difference” in the region where she has roots.

“The future of every issue I care about, and so many people I care about, hangs in the balance. The future of our democracy is literally on the line tonight,” she said.

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Scranton, a largely Democratic urban center in Pennsylvania’s 8th Congressional District, is a crucial area for the election. The surrounding counties have shown a conservative shift in recent elections, with President Joe Biden narrowly losing the district to former President Donald Trump by a 51-48 percent margin in 2020.

With Pennsylvania emerging as a critical battleground for the election, more than 200 Massachusetts Democrats have traveled to Scranton, located in the pivotal 8th Congressional District, to boost voter turnout for the Harris-Walz ticket.

Jesse Mermell

This year, the district remains highly contested, with Trump holding a slight lead over Vice President Kamala Harris in local polling—49 percent to 46 percent, according to a survey by Noble Predictive Insights. For Mermell, who has been involved in politics for more than 25 years, these tight margins underscore the potential impact of their grassroots efforts.

“In a very purple area of a swing state, you can’t assume Democrats will automatically vote Democrat. It’s not the same as in a deeply blue area like Brookline, Massachusetts,” she said.

Mermell, who served as communications director for former Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick, highlighted the enthusiasm among local volunteers. She noted that canvassers from her team have knocked on thousands of doors, visiting over 6,500 homes in early October and reaching 29,000 this past weekend.

“People were having real conversations and convincing others of the importance of voting. In this divisive time, being able to have civil conversations on someone’s porch about important issues is powerful,” Mermell said.

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Massachussets Democrats Rallying in PA
More than 200 Massachusetts Democrats have traveled to Scranton, Pennsylvania, to boost voter turnout for the Harris-Walz ticket. Scranton is located in the pivotal 8th Congressional District.

Jesse Mermell

In 2020, Joe Biden narrowly won Pennsylvania with 50.01 percent of the vote, reversing the Democrats’ 2016 loss when Trump beat former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton by 48.18 percent to 47.46 percent. Polling experts say Pennsylvania could once again decide the next president. For Mermell and her team, these tight margins underscore the importance of their efforts.

“I see a path, but I also remember 2016, when we thought Clinton would win, and it all came crashing down,” she said. “But when it’s this close, that margin is exactly where volunteers make a difference.”



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Massachusetts

Dangerousness hearing held for Taunton man in Fall River after Massachusetts, Rhode Island State Police make trafficking arrest involving Bristol, Plymouth, RI counties

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Dangerousness hearing held for Taunton man in Fall River after Massachusetts, Rhode Island State Police make trafficking arrest involving Bristol, Plymouth, RI counties


A dangerousness hearing was held Friday for a Bristol County man after a drug trafficking investigation led to his arrest.

According to Massachusetts State Police, during May and June of this year, members of the Commonwealth Interstate Narcotics Reduction Enforcement Team – South initiated an investigation into narcotics trafficking. Intelligence revealed that 33-year-old Jason Hodo of Taunton was distributing trafficking quantities of fentanyl and cocaine in Rhode Island and throughout Plymouth and Bristol Counties in Massachusetts. Investigators completed extensive traditional and covert surveillance, record checks, and intelligence analysis. The investigation led to warrants being sought and granted to search for all controlled substances at all locations related to Hodo.

In June, executing officers followed Hodo in his vehicle after he departed the Rhode Island location and drove to a Taunton gas station. Hodo was detained, searched, and arrested after amounts of fentanyl and cocaine were located. Members then executed the “knock and announce” search warrants without incident at locations in both states.

The searches in Massachusetts led to the seizure of approximately 528 grams of fentanyl, 206 grams of cocaine, and nearly $22,000 from Hodo’s person and vehicle. Hodo was eventually transported to State Police-Middleboro for booking on charges related to Trafficking Class A and Class B Substances.

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A simultaneous search of the Rhode Island location by Rhode Island State Police revealed the following: two firearms loaded with high-capacity magazines, approximately 12 grams of fentanyl, nearly $19,000, several high value bars of gold, jewelry, and a diamond/gold chain with receipt for $103,000.

Previously in Fall River Superior Court, Hodo pled not guilty at his arraignment and was held without bail pending a dangerousness hearing scheduled for Friday.

On Friday, also in Fall River Superior Court, dangerousness was taken under advisement with Hodo still held without bail.

His next scheduled court appearance is a pre-trial conference in February.

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Mass. State Lottery winner: Lucky store sold 6 winning tickets Friday

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Mass. State Lottery winner: Lucky store sold 6 winning tickets Friday


It was the final day of the fall, but for one store in Arlington, it was their luckiest day of the year.

On Friday, Dec. 20, Peter Pan Superette in Arlington sold six winning Keno tickets, each worth $9,600.

While over the course of the year the store has at times sold two winners in one day, Friday was the only time in 2024 the total grew to six.

Overall, at least 565 worth $600 or more were won or claimed in Massachusetts on Friday, including six in Springfield, 29 in Worcester and 42 in Boston.

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The Massachusetts State Lottery releases a full list of winning tickets every day. The list only includes winning tickets worth more than $600.

So far, the largest lottery prize won in Massachusetts this year was worth $1 million a year for life.

The prize was from the lottery’s “Lifetime Millions” scratch ticket game. The winner claimed their prize through a trust on July 10, and opted to receive a one-time payment of $15.4 million.



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How much snow in Massachusetts? Here are the storm totals for December 20

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How much snow in Massachusetts? Here are the storm totals for December 20



Next Weather: WBZ Update

03:57

BOSTON – More than five inches of snow fell in several towns in eastern Massachusetts on Friday. Boston picked up 4.4″ of snow, one of the biggest snowfalls in almost three years. 

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Here are the latest snow totals from the National Weather Service, Rob Macedo, the SKYWARN Coordinator for the National Weather Service in Taunton, and WBZ-TV Weather Watchers.  

Norwood 6.0 inches
Dedham 6.0
Walpole 5.5
Needham 5.5
Danvers 5.3
Topsfield 5.0
Cambridge 4.9
Newton 4.5
Boston 4.4
Randolph 4.0
Foxboro 4.0
Milford 3.2
Rehoboth 3.2
Millville 3.0
North Attleboro 2.0
West Yarmouth 2.0
Worcester 1.0



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